DEAR DR. BLONZ: Is it possible to grow more muscle using an amino acid supplement that is supposed to increase growth hormone? I am in my teens and this is the latest going around the locker room.

B.F.

DEAR B.F.: This idea has been pushed periodically for many years, but the rumor’s prevalence is due to the product promoters’ efforts — not evidence. These products contain amino acids, and that is simply what you get when you eat protein. When testing this theory, researchers usually provide certain amino acids to individuals who have undergone an overnight (or longer) fast. The provision of the nutrients after a fast can cause a short-term spike of growth hormone to be released by the pineal gland. It’s doubtful this would have any clinical significance, but it sure does provide fodder for advertising claims. And the “placebo” they test it against is not regular food; it’s usually a pill or capsule that contains no nutrients. The bottom line is that you have to earn your muscles, not expect them to come out of a bottle.

DEAR DR. BLONZ: What is the recommended daily intake of protein for the average person? Is it 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or per pound?

S.G.

DEAR S.G.: The correct formula is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. A simple way to figure your average daily protein requirement is to count 11 grams of protein for every 30 pounds of body weight. Using this method, an average 150-pound adult should have about 55 grams of protein per day. For those who are overweight, it is best to use your “ideal body weight” for someone of your height when computing a target protein intake.

Pregnant women should add an extra 10 grams of protein per day, and nursing mothers an extra 12 to 15 grams during the first six months following birth. Growing children require more protein in relation to their body weight: about .5 grams of dietary protein per pound from age 1 up to age 14. Those over 60 years old should count about 15 grams of protein per 30 pounds of body weight; this is because older people may have a decreased ability to utilize protein as efficiently.

The average individual does not benefit from extra protein because there is no way to store it for later use. When excessive amounts of this relatively expensive food are eaten, the body, for the most part, has no option but to disassemble the amino acids of the protein and turn them into body fat — and you know where that goes.

Here are amounts of protein in some common foods.

1 slice of sandwich bread: 2 grams

1 cup of broccoli: 3 grams

1 ounce (20-30) almonds: 6 grams

1 cup of white rice: 6 grams

1 large egg: 6 grams

1 cup of cooked pasta (no sauce): 7 grams

1 ounce of cheddar, jack or Swiss cheese: 7 grams

1/2 cup of kidney beans: 8 grams

2 tablespoons of peanut butter: 8 grams

1 cup of low-fat milk: 9 grams

1 cup of fruit-flavored yogurt: 10 grams

1 cup of tofu: 18 grams

4-ounce hamburger patty: 28 grams

8-ounce steak: 69 grams

4 ounces of fish (such as trout): 30 grams

4 ounces of roasted chicken breast: 34 grams

Kensington resident Ed Blonz has a Ph.D. in nutrition from UC Davis. Email him at cctimes@blonz.com.